My friend challenged me to meet with God. How, I asked? How can I still myself before God? How do I quiet my brain's constant babble? How do I carve out enough time and sit still long enough for God to show up?

Gently my friend said, "Just set the time aside. Light a candle and sit awhile with it and watch it burn. Invite God to come. Listen. Be still. Wait. He will come."

And so I take the candle and the matches and find a quiet place in my empty house. I strike the match. The wick catches fire. I sit, blinds drawn in the dusky stillness of the room, and wait. Come, Lord Jesus, I pray. My thoughts begin to wander. No. Come, Lord Jesus. I'm here to meet with you, Lord.

I bring my mind back to the moment, the reason, the purpose of my sitting still. I watch the candle burn. As the candle burns, the wax melts. The circle of melted wax slowly grows until the flame is clearly. perfectly reflected in the melted wax. Flickering flame, reflected light, warm, maleable wax, pleasant aroma, peace, calm, stillness, focus...

Then Jesus comes.

The vignette before me is a revelation.

Jesus comes in the stillness of that moment revealing truth to me. My spirit quickens within me as I hear the thought-words spoken in the silence...

I am the candle, Jesus the flame.

I am cold, solid and rather unexceptional before the flame. I choose to take the match, strike it and put the flame to the cold wick. Ignited by You, I am slowly changed. I am softened, melted, maleable as the heat of the flame takes hold. A sweet aroma is unlocked and the scent permeates the room. Look how I reflect your light in the molten wax. I become beautiful as you transform me into a pure, perfect reflection of you.

I recognize that the more the candle burns, the less it will become. The flame will eventually consume it.

I blow out the flame. The wax slowly hardens, the aroma fades, the candle is solidified once again. Plain, solid, rather unexceptional. But I know the potential for transformation lies in you, the flame.

Lesley-Anne writes to share hope, encouragment and small graces with those God puts in her path.